Youth arrested for ‘raping’ 8 year old

An eight-year-old girl student was allegedly raped by a youth near her school in Nathuabar-Nuasahi village in Jajpur district, police said today.

The accused, identified as Kuna Pradhan (22) of the same village was arrested yesterday, police said. Though the incident occurred last Friday, it was reported to the local police on Wednesday night.

The FIR filed by the father of the victim with the Kuakhia police alleges that his daughter who is studying in Class III at Nathuabar Primary school went to the school along with some of her classmates on Friday. When they reached the school, students were told by their teachers that classes were suspended due to construction work of the school building.

Instead of returning home the victim kept playing with other children near her school. The accused taking advantage of the situation lured the girl and raped her, the FIR said.

“Kuna lured her by giving her chocolates on Friday noon. He then took the victim to an abandoned house, just few yards from her school, and raped her. The victim informed her parents about the sexual assault only after reaching her home,” said Deepak Kumar, Jajpur Superintendent of Police, quoting the FIR.

The victim’s father approached the village committee for justice the same night and the accused was summoned to the village committee meeting. But the accused reportedly refused to admit the crime following which a written complaint was lodged with police, he said.

The accused absconded from the village after an FIR was filed against him with the police.

Police arrested the accused yesterday from a nearby village after conducting raids at various places. Police conducted medical examination of both the accused and the victim at district head quarters hospital here.

The accused was taken to the local court today and later remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected. (PTI)